The Arizona Cardinals had a lot to do in 2024.
2023 was a catastrophe in virtually each means that counts. The group went 4-13, however that wasn’t sufficient to lock down a prime three choose that could possibly be auctioned off to the very best bidder in a quarterback-heavy draft. Kyler Murray’s restoration from a torn ACL left Joshua Dobbs and Clayton Tune to begin video games at quarterback. Just one group within the NFL gave up extra factors.
On prime of that, the deal they’d made with the Houston Texans in final yr’s draft didn’t pay anticipated dividends. The Texans’ rise to AFC South champions meant they received final yr’s third total choose (and 2023’s defensive rookie of the yr) Will Anderson Jr. for the value of the twelfth and twenty seventh picks within the 2023 and 2024 drafts, respectively — a stable deal that wasn’t fairly the windfall Arizona had hoped.
Luckily, there have been nonetheless loads of belongings at normal supervisor Monti Ossenfort’s disposal to dig his group out of the NFC West’s basement. The Cardinals’ $56 million of cap area was a prime seven mark within the league heading into the offseason. And whereas the fourth total choose wouldn’t get them in place for a prime three quarterback, they didn’t want one with Kyler Murray below contract thanks to an enormous extension. Arizona was cleared so as to add one of the best gamers obtainable when it got here to boosting their roster, both on the open market or within the draft.
That’s just about what they did.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports activities
Arizona’s offense ought to instantly enhance even with out including established veteran expertise
First, don’t let pre-draft smoke screens inform you in a different way. Even in a stacked class of vast receiver expertise, Marvin Harrison Jr. was the clear prime wideout.
Even higher, he match a direct want for the Cardinals. Arizona’s most focused vast receiver in 2023 was Marquise Brown, who’s now a Kansas Metropolis Chief. Quantity two on the checklist was Rondale Moore, who was traded to the Atlanta Falcons.
Want met alternative in a large method to give the Cardinals, and Murray, a viable WR1. The rookie is not going to solely elevate the offense however save a ton of cap area going ahead. In a league the place $35 million simply grew to become the annual going price for an elite receiver, Harrison Jr. will value slightly below $35.4 million… for the following 4 years.
That’s very important for a group with a quarterback whose wage cap hits the following 5 seasons vacillate between $43 and $53 million. However Murray gained’t simply be counting on a first-year stud to elevate his offense.
Arziona’s total goal chief final yr was Trey McBride, who was served a platter of unappetizing quarterbacks most of 2023 and turned it right into a feast:
Trey McBride completed the 2023 common season 2nd in Yards Per Route Run amongst Tight Ends.
The Cardinals moved McBride across the formation, threw screens to him, and he was in a position to reap the benefits of among the matchups he noticed pic.twitter.com/pWvjXwsJfV
— Shawn Syed (@SyedSchemes) June 17, 2024
His common goal distance was six yards downfield however his common catch sprang for greater than 10 yards per reception owing to sneaky spectacular run after catch expertise. Professional Soccer Reference credited him with 10 damaged tackles final season after recording zero as a rookie in 2022.
The opposite arrow in Murray’s quiver shall be Michael Wilson, whose 9.7 yards per goal ranked second amongst all rookies to solely Inexperienced Bay Packer Dontayvion Wicks. Consistency was proper about the place you’d count on from the thirteenth wideout chosen final spring, however he appeared to discover a connection along with his veteran QB late within the yr. After zero catches on seven targets his first two video games with Murray within the lineup, Wilson had 12 targets, 10 catches, 130 yards and a landing within the closing two.
That’s an especially enjoyable younger lineup of targets, albeit a skinny one. There’s additionally assist coming to the backfield. James Conner was quietly nice final season, operating for greater than 1,000 yards in solely 13 video games. His 1.02 rush yards over anticipated (RYOE) per try had been fourth greatest within the NFL final season, per Subsequent Gen Stats.
Conner can be 29 years outdated, has greater than 1,100 NFL carries below his belt and supplied little within the receiving recreation, although 13 of his 27 catches got here after Murray’s return within the final 4 weeks of the yr. Luckily, the Cardinals have extra assist en route. Trey Benson was arguably the highest rookie operating again on this yr’s draft class and was the second off the board when Arizona took him within the third spherical.
Benson’s measurement and aggressive operating offers Murray a thunder/thunder mixture to tenderize defenses and arrange his passing recreation earlier than taking his personal scrambling means into consideration. Benson additionally has 4.3-second 40 velocity, shifty lateral quickness and the flexibility to contribute as a receiver. He’s one other hyperlink on this thrilling chain of younger playmakers.
Then there’s the man in the course of all of it, hoping to show potential into manufacturing.
Joe Rondone-Arizona Republic
Kyler Murray was quietly respectable to complete a misplaced 2023
2023 didn’t supply Murray a lot however the likelihood to construct confidence in his surgically repaired knee. His first 5 video games again failed to color him as a quarterback worthy of a $230 million contract. Although Arizona went 2-3 in that span, he threw solely 4 touchdowns in opposition to 4 interceptions. He added three extra scores on the bottom, however his 31 dashing yards per recreation had been nonetheless beneath his profession common of 39.
When it comes to total effectivity, he was someplace between Desmond Ridder and Bailey Zappe:
by way of rbsdm.com and the writer.
Issues modified over the ultimate three weeks of the season. The schedule received simpler, for one, however Murray nonetheless needed to face a Chicago Bears protection that was taking part in like a prime three unit to complete the yr, a talented-but-spiraling Philadelphia Eagles and a Seattle Seahawks group nonetheless within the playoff hunt.
Murray threw six touchdowns in opposition to a single interception in that span. His passer score rose from 78.4 to 108.3. His deep recreation was nonetheless a multitude — he accomplished solely three of 12 passes that traveled at the very least 15 yards downfield — however he discovered a method to maximize a roster with a couple of good younger prospects and a complete bunch of alternative stage gamers.
Right here’s the place he ranked amongst beginning quarterbacks over these closing three weeks of 2023.
by way of rbsdm.com and the writer
That’s a small pattern measurement and people aren’t world beater numbers, however they’re above common for a quarterback taking part in with one of many league’s least recognizable supporting casts. Now Murray will get so as to add an elite younger wideout to the combination who can crush defenders at each stage. He can pair Harrison Jr. with McBride’s dependable short-range recreation and Wilson’s budding deep/intermediate vary savagery. He’s additionally received two new(ish) tackles in Jonah Williams and Paris Johnson to maintain his edges intact and create the area he must rise to his contract.
There’s potential right here! Modest potential, certain, however the 2024 Cardinals could possibly be extraordinarily enjoyable to look at. Which is nice, as a result of that concentrate on younger playmakers has left the protection in a decent spot. Signing Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols ought to assist enhance a poor defensive entrance, however this stays a group for which no participant who began double-digit video games had greater than 3.5 sacks.
There shall be fast stress on rookies Darius Robinson and Max Melton to step into beginning roles and carry out. That is, with out query, asking so much even earlier than we get to the competitors within the AFC West, the place each non-Cardinals group completed above .500 final winter.
That implies 2024 could also be a yr of modest enchancment in Arizona slightly than a surprising turnaround. However given the relative weak spot of the remainder of the NFC, there’s an opportunity that some younger contributors might push the Cardinals right into a Wild Card spot forward of schedule.
And in the event that they don’t, they need to be enjoyable as hell to look at alongside the way in which.
